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This Week in Rockland: Newspaper Excerpts: Flashback Friday: Week of July 1

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2022-07-01 TWIR Image-Cornell

June 29, 1872 – 150 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Journal

AROUND HOME
      It is rumored that Contractor Cole has rented the “76 House,” at Tappan, as a boarding place for the men to be put upon his portion of the Ridgefield Railroad.

NEW SENSATION
       At last Nyack is to have—what it has so long needed—a first class hotel. Arrangements are now in progress by which this cherished plan is to be carried out in a style never before attempted in this country—that of course meaning the world. We have various rumors of the strictness of the rules, which will confine the patronage to the most select class of guests, who will be required to furnish undoubted certificates of their standing in the fashionable world. Even the waiters and porters are to be selected with a critical nicety, and they will be required to come under bonds to hold no association, professional or otherwise, with the employees of any other hotel.
       A special constabulary will be appointed to prevent any of the descendants of the late lamented Jeremy Diddler, of plebian origin, whether they claim parentage from Thomas, Steven, John, Isaac, and others of the new millionaire branches or those which have not arrived at that distinction, from picking their teeth within a quarter of a mile of the premises. We hope to give full particulars in a short time.

June 30, 1932 90 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Evening Journal

BEGIN REHEARSING HISTORIC PAGEANT
[Image: This is Miss Eleanor Perry, who became “Miss Haverstraw” when she received the highest number of votes in the recent popularity contest. She will be cast in the honor role for the historic pageant to be staged July 15 as a part of Haverstraw’s Washington Bi-Centennial celebration. Photo by Bartcraft Studio.]
       The task of molding 450 individuals into a smoothly working machine is proceeding efficiently in Haverstraw today. Under the direction of H. M. Perkins, the coaching of the many characters to take part in the historic pageant on July 15 is developing effectively.
       Fred N. Benson and William J. McCabe, chairman and vice chairman of the Haverstraw Washington Bicentennial Commission, respectively, expressed themselves as more than pleased at the prospect of one of the greatest spectacles ever to have been staged in Rockland County.
       The pageant which will climax Haverstraw’s holiday will be an ambitious affair. The 450 actors will be costumed appropriately and will pantomime the life of Washington beginning when he was nine years old through to his Inaugural Ball as the first President.
       In the prologue will appear the winners of the recent popularity contest. There will be two trumpeters, Doris Rose and Mildred McGuire, students of the Tomkins Cove High School; a symbolic group, Lina and Stasia Fay, Marge McGovern and Ann Gagan, pupils of Miss Shankey’s dancing class; and Miss Haverstraw, represented by Eleanor Perry, the winner of the popularity contest. Her four attendants will be chosen from the girls of Stony Point High School.

Flag Bearers
       Florence V. Gilson of Stony Point and Ruth Oakley of Garnerville will act as flag bearers; Rosalie Hylas and Helen Fox will act as guards of honor to “Miss America” Carlys Cutlip, second highest in the popularity contest.
       The heralds will be Estelle Clark of Tomkins Cove and Angelina Rotella of West Haverstraw, who will precede “Miss 1932,” the third contestant Marjorie Seibold. Her attendants will be Stella Rubio and Sylvia Cohen.
       The first episode of Washington’s life will include the characters of “Mary Washington” supplied by the P. O. of A. of Stony Point; “George Washington,” John Ducey, 9, son of the secretary of the Board of Supervisors; “Betty Washington”, 3-year-old Shirley Hurley, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. John Hurley of Garnerville; and six boys of the Haverstraw Grammar School as George Washington’s playmates.
       The second episode will show Washington as the young surveyor. In this, John Miller of Tomkins Cove will portray Washington at the age of 17; “Lord Fairfax, 26 years old” by C. Kenneth Benson; Washington’s companions and two Negro servants will be members of the Roosevelt-Lehman and Builders clubs not yet named.

Other Tableaux
       The early military training period will include young Miller as Washington, George Johnson as Governor Dinwoodie, and other companions. The next tableau will be that of Indians and colonists at Fort Duquesne. Willis Spissinger and Thomas Jauntig will portray Indian chiefs; the P. O. S. of A of Stony Point will furnish the Colonial Spokesman; the Red Men of Stony Point, eight Indian Braves; the councils of Haverstraw and Stony Point, Order of Pocahontas, four squaws; and there will be additional boys and girls as colonists.
       Braddock’s defeat will be the next episode. Gen. Braddock, British and Colonial soldiers and Indians will be furnished by the P. O. S. of A. Masons and Knights of Pythias.
       Social Life at Mt. Vernon, Washington; being made Commander-in-Chief of the army; the Inaugural Ball and the Development of the American Flag will be other tableaux presented.
       The high lights in Washington’s career—his crossing of the Delaware, the Winter at Valley Forge, the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and his home-coming at the end of the Revolution will also be portrayed.
       The pageant will close with a grand finale, in which the West Haverstraw Combination Corps will take part, together with a ballet by Miss Shankey’s dancing class. Sixteen girls from Haverstraw High School will represent the various nations, and the combined choirs of St. Peter’s and the Central Presbyterian Churches will sing.

June 29, 1972 50 YEARS AGO
The Journal News

MRS. CORNELL ELECTED TO HEAD COUNTY DEMS
[Image: Madame Chairman—Mrs. J. Martin (Harriet) Cornell is new Democratic county Chairman. Photo by Al Witt.]
       The Rockland County Democratic Party Wednesday chose a woman as its head for the first time in its history.
       Mrs. Harriet Cornell, who served as associate chairwoman last year, was the committee’s unanimous choice at the meeting Wednesday at Ripples.
       Mrs. Cornell quickly pointed out that although neither major party has had a woman leader, both the Liberal and Conservative parties are now or recently were headed by women.
       “I think that both men and women in the past several years have been more willing to accept women in leadership roles,” Mrs. Cornell said after her victory, “but I think in this case the party was also looking for a vigorous and articulate spokesman for our purposes.”
       In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Cornell called for a maintenance of the diverse elements within the Democratic Party.
       “What we need is a leader who can bring people together in a mutually respectful working relationship for the purpose of advancing our principles,” she said.
       Calling President Richard Nixon “our major ecological problem,” she asked the party to work together in bringing his defeat in November. “His ways are devious, and we don’t need an escapee like Martha Mitchell to tell us the truth,” she said.
       Mrs. Cornell also urged the party to work to gain control of the county legislature, where, she said, “the Republican-Conservative majority has increased the budget from $24 million to $54 million in four short years.”
       In other posts filled at Wednesday’s meeting, former Ramapo town chairman Fred Walker was selected as associate chairman; Orangetown county legislative candidate Robert Crable was chosen vice chairman; and state committeewoman Kay Nugent was elected secretary.
       Charles Furst, county elections commissioner, made a last-minute decision not to keep his post as party treasurer. Another Stony Point resident, Anthony Soluri, was chosen for the post instead.
       All the candidates were unopposed.
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This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan on behalf of the Historical Society of Rockland County. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.


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